Torquispa convexifrons, Borowiec & Świętojańska & Sekerka, 2019

Borowiec, Lech, Świętojańska, Jolanta & Sekerka, Lukáš, 2019, Revision of the tribe Cryptonychini (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae) of New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4690 (1), pp. 1-71 : 56-58

Torquispa convexifrons sp. nov.

( Figs 186–193 , 236)

Etymology. Named after its convex interocular plate.

Type locality. New Caledonia, Mt. Paniè , 950 m a.s.l.

Diagnosis. Differs from T. vittigera in smaller size with body length below 14.5 mm (more than 15.5 in T. vittigera ), extremely convex, tuberculate interocular plate (moderately convex and not tuberculate in T. vittigera ), short interantennal process extending at most to ¼ length of antennomere I (only slightly shorter or as long as antennomere I in T. vittigera ), and elytra with scutellar row of 1–5 punctures (without scutellar row in T. vittigera ).

Description. Length 11.20–14.20 mm, width 2.90–4.00 mm.

Head ferrugineous. Pronotum uniformly yellow to ferrugineous, hypomera darker coloured than disc from yellowish-brown to ferrugineous brown. Elytra of same colour as top of pronotal disc, except yellow costa on interval 3 ( Fig. 186 ), occasionally elytral background darker than pronotum, ochraceous to ochraceous-brown. Antennae yellow to ferrugineous. Prothorax and mesoventrite from ochraceous-brown to brown, lateral plates of meso- and metaventrite paler coloured than central plates, yellowish to ferrugineous; metaventrite ferrugineousbrown to brown with paler coloured medial line, intercoxal process and posterior margins. Abdomen mostly brownish, ventrites usually with paler patch on each side. Legs uniformly yellow to ferrugineous. Body glabrous except for yellowish hairs on frontoclypeus, short golden brown pubescence on distal antennomerres and golden orange pubescence on tarsal pads and apices of tibiae. Head 1.3 × as wide as long, interocular plate rectangular, strongly convex, tuberculate, well separated from vertex by extremely deep sulcus, anterior corners of interocular plate obtuse. Surface of interocular plate in basal half with several moderately coarse punctures and smooth in anterior half, with deep median sulcus along whole length of plate; interantennal process short extending at most to ¼ length of antennomere I, moderately flattened laterally, obtuse to angulate apically, with more or less marked narrow sulcus along dorsal margin ( Figs 189, 190 ). Frontoclypeus slightly longer than wide (including interantennal process), central plate regularly triangular, anterolateral corners tuberculate; surface of central plate mostly smooth and shiny only basal corners with group of setose punctures, a few setose punctures present also along sides of plate ( Fig. 188 ). Antennae approximately 0.33 × as long as body, slightly compressed apically; antennomere I large and stout, approximately 1.2 × as long as broad; antennomere II short, as long as broad, 2 × as long as I; antennomere III moderately elongate, 1.3 × as long as III; antennomeres IV–V and VII slightly longer than III; antennomeres VI and IX–X as long as III; antennomere VIII slightly shorter than III; antennomere XI 1.7 × as long as X, subangulate apically ( Fig. 187 ). Pronotum approximately 1.2 × as long as broad, sides parallel from base to ¾ length, in ¼ length with distinct, small, obtuse anterolateral tubercles then converging anterad, anterior margin moderately convex, basal margin bisinuate; anterior angles obtuse without anterior tubercles, basal angles straight, without tubercles; disc on top flattened, without impressions near anterior corners, without medial sulcus, in some specimens with impunctate area along middle, surface coarsely punctate, punctures arranged irregularly in some parts tend to form dense groups, in other parts arranged more loosely thus distance among punctures varies from distinctly narrower to distinctly wider than puncture diameter but rarely punctures almost touching each other, on central part of disc, especially along middle sculpture tends to form impunctate area ( Fig. 191 ). Elytra 3.2–3.3 × as long as broad, subparallel anteriorly and slightly broadened posteriorly and widest somewhat behind middle. Apex of elytra not emarginate, sutural angle subangulate, lateral angle regularly rounded. Disc with 3–5 punctures in scutellar row; eigth rows in humeral part, seven rows before middle, eigth rows behind middle and eigth rows apically but in middle of elytra between main and humeral costa punctures for short distance form irregularly punctate area, some additional punctures occur also on short distance on apical part of elytra and thus aparently forming 9 elytral rows. Interval 2 broad, wider than two rows combined but flat, interval 3 obtusely and broadly costate on whole length, posthumeral interval narrowly elevated at least basally and apically. Ventral surface shiny, hypomera moderately coarsely and moderately densely punctate; prosternal alae mostly smooth, only elevated part in front of coxa with a few punctures, prosternal process flat, impunctate, smooth and shiny, mesoventrite partly with short longitudinal grooves or striation, metaventrite with only single row of sparse punctures along lateral margins, central part smooth and shiny, anterior process and posterolateral convex angles with longitudinal and oblique striation; abdomen mostly smooth and shiny only last ventrite with fine and sparse punctures gradually larger from its base to apex of ventrite, lateral margins of last ventrite with brush of long and dense golden hair. Legs moderately stout, apical part of inner margin of fore tibiae distinctly excavate, apex without spine; mid tibiae only slightly widened from base to apex, straight with minute apical spine ( Figs 192, 193 ).

Sexual dimorphism weakly manifested, males with broadly emarginate apex of last ventrite while regularly rounded in females.

Host plants. According to label data were specimens collected from Gahnia sp. ( Cyperaceae ) and Freycinetia sp. ( Pandanaceae ).

Type material examined. Holotype: ♀, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA: | Mont Panie 800- | 950 m, 1 V 1981 [w, p, cb] || Gahnia [w, p, cb] || J.L. Gressitt, Coll. | BISHOP Museum | Acc. #1981.166 [w, p, cb]’ ( BPBM) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( BPBM) ; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA: | Mont Panie , 200- | 830 m, 5. IV .1981 [w, p, cb] || Gahnia [w, p, cb] || J.L. Gressitt, Coll. | BISHOP Museum | Acc. #1981.166[w, p, cb]’ ( BPBM, LS) ; 1 ♀, ‘ NEW CALEDONIA: | Mt. Panie , 530 m | 31. III .1981 [w, p, cb] || Freycinetia [w, p, cb] || J.L. Gressitt, Coll. | BISHOP Museum | Acc. #1981.166 [w, p, cb]’ ( BPBM) .

Remark. We have designated a female specimen as holotype because it is the best preserved one within type series with a set of complete legs and antennae.

Figures

FIGURES 186–193. Torquispa covexifrons sp. nov. 186. Body dorsal, 187. Antenna, 188. Frontoclypeus and prosternum, 189. Male head dorsal, 190. Female head dorsal, 191. Pronotum, 192. Fore leg, 193. Mid leg.